Landscape & Visual

Balancing sustainable infrastructure design while protecting our natural environment.

Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) is a tool used to identify and assess the significance of and the effects of change resulting from a proposed development on both the landscape as an environmental resource in its own right and on people’s views and visual amenity, and is used by Entrust for green infrastructure or renewable energy proposals to support our planning applications or environmental impact assessments.

Our Landscape & Visual Solutions

Entrust’s LVIA’s are supported by visual solutions including photomontages, wireframes and Zones of Theoretical Visibility (ZTV). Our sustainable landscaping ethos is to not only achieve an aesthetic that looks right, but the project must also commit to preserving the natural beauty and integrity of the environment. We provide a full suite of landscape architecture services for infrastructure schemes including landscaping designs and layouts.

Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA)

The LVIA, a report submitted to the local planning authority, identifies and quantifies potential landscape and visual impacts arising from a proposed infrastructure scheme on the surrounding landscape. Our range of services includes a LVIA written statement, cumulative analysis and Landscape & Visual Appraisal (LVA). We have also developed a mini-LVIA in house which is widely used in the Telecoms Sector called an Assessment of Landscape & Visual Impacts (ALVI).

Photomontages & Wireframes

Assessment of Landscape and Visual Impacts (ALVI)

Zone of Theoretical Visibility (ZTV)

Visual Appraisal

Photographic Surveys and Drone Surveys

Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA)

Assessment of Landscape and Visual Impacts (ALVI)

Visual Appraisal

Photomontages & Wireframes

Zone of Theoretical Visibility (ZTV)

Photographic Surveys and Drone Surveys

Successful Projects Across the UK

Planning Approval for Wind Turbine Project at Rainsbutt Farm, Lincolnshire

Full Planning Approval for Battery Energy Storage Facility in the UK

Telecom Infrastructure Advancements in South Downs National Park

FAQs

This section brings together clear, straightforward answers to the queries we hear most often, helping you quickly find the information you need. Whether you’re just getting started or looking for something specific, these FAQs are designed to save you time and point you in the right direction.

An LVIA is required where a proposed development has the potential to significantly affect landscape character or visual amenity, particularly for large or vertically prominent infrastructure such as wind turbines, solar farms, telecommunications masts, substations, and battery storage facilities. It is a standard requirement for EIA developments and is increasingly expected by planning authorities even for non-EIA applications in sensitive or elevated landscapes.

An LVIA assesses the effects of a proposed development on landscape character and visual amenity. It includes a Zone of Theoretical Visibility (ZTV) analysis, a baseline landscape character assessment, identification of visual receptors, magnitude of change assessments, and verified photomontage visualisations from agreed viewpoints. Entrust also produces Assessments of Landscape and Visual Impacts (ALVIs), a bespoke sector-specific format widely used in the telecoms sector.

Photomontages are produced using verified survey techniques: field photography from agreed viewpoints, 3D modelling from AutoCAD drawings, and wireframe overlays using bare earth topographical data. The process follows industry-standard guidance, including SNH/NatureScot guidance in Scotland and the Landscape Institute’s guidance in England and Wales, to produce accurate, defensible representations of how a development will appear. Entrust produces all visualisations in-house, including ZTVs, wireframes, and cumulative impact assessments.

Yes. Significant adverse effects on landscape character or the visual amenity of sensitive receptors, particularly in nationally designated landscapes such as National Parks, AONBs (UK), or Scenic Landscape designations (Ireland), are among the most common grounds for planning refusal or appeal loss on energy and infrastructure projects. Visual impact risk is best managed through early landscape sensitivity testing, iterative design development, and commissioning a robust LVIA that presents evidence-based conclusions.

A Landscape and Visual Appraisal (LVA) is a high-level, proportionate assessment suitable for smaller or lower-impact proposals such as single telecoms masts or minor infrastructure works, where a full LVIA is not required by the planning authority. A full LVIA follows formal assessment methodology under the Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (GLVIA3) and is required for EIA developments or projects in sensitive locations. Entrust advises on the appropriate level of assessment at the pre-application stage to avoid over or under-scoping.

Have questions or want to discuss how we can help with your environmental planning needs?

Reach out to our team today.

Let’s collaborate to create a greener, more sustainable future together.

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